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FASHION

Why fashion collabs desperately need a disruption

By Shivangi Lolayekar
FASHION

Why fashion collabs desperately need a disruption

By Shivangi Lolayekar
main-image
04 February, 2022

Two for the price of one is becoming fashion's new tagline


Let me take you through the list of collaborations that have taken place this past year. The blockbuster Gucci and Balenciaga crossover in the Hacker Project. Donatella Versace and Kim Jones holding hands on the runway after FENDACE. Celebrities and influencers flaunting their best pose and pouts in Sabyasachi x H&M. Diplo turning dad's favourite hole-ridden Crocs into psychedelic clogs with fungi protruding out of them. Balenciaga and The Simpsons. Supreme and Tiffany & Co. fusing high-end, edgy and street. Hyped-up monkey merch in the metaverse by Adidas x Bored Ape Yacht Club. These are the ones in plain sight and only a handful of the couplings that have flooded the market.

Collaborations have become the unofficial sound of fashion. Call it the highest order of creativity and experimentation: distinctive aesthetics coming together for a unique offering that the world's never seen before. Or a clever marketing tool that requires little from a designer's creative bank and is more about the intermingling of heavyweight logos to give a consumer two labels for the price of one.

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Sabyasachi was H&M's pick for its annual designer partnership

A PARTY OF TWO

The world first got a whiff of a meet-cute between high-end brands in 2016, when Demna Gvasalia at Vetements went nuts and collaborated with 18 giants, including Manolo Blahnik, Brioni and Comme des Garçons. Moncler then came out with The Genius Project two years later before Valentino and Undercover got together in 2019. These collaborations were disruptive and a novel way to shake up the game at the time. Now it's repetitive. But can you blame a brand for going down a tried and tested route for quick sale relief? “Post Covid, everyone’s trying to find stability in terms of commerce, which is why a collab becomes a sure shot win. But it needs to be product-led and long term. If it's only meant for commercial success, then it's a bubble waiting to explode,” says designer Kunal Rawal.

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Birkenstock collaborated with Dior for their latest menswear show

Birkenstock collaborated with Dior for their latest menswear show

"When hype comes with a strong design language like the Sacai x Undercover x Nike partnership, then you have a successful collaboration," says Kunal Rawal

Balmain's Barbie dreams

Hyped-up monkey merch in the metaverse by Adidas x Bored Ape Yacht Club

In the digital age, it’s virtually impossible to foresee what's going to blow up, but the chances of two parties creating a firestorm of hype are greater than an individual collection making a loud noise. “Collaborations are a great idea and marketing tool if cleverly executed. It brings a sense of newness and helps collaborators target their respective audiences. But it's important to choose what resonates with your brand," says Kalyani Saha, founder of Rezon Silverware and Dior's former VP of marketing and communication. “One of my favourites was Kim Jones at Dior teaming up with Daniel Arsham. Designer and artist collaborations aren't new, but the collection had both sensibilities come through. It wasn’t just a painting on a bag.”


TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

Kim Jones is known to have engineered more than a few legendary ones. Since his inception as artistic director at Dior in 2018, every collection’s seen a plus one: Kaws, Stussy and, most recently, Birkenstock. If he doesn’t have a collaborator, something is missing. When I'd interviewed him for GQ India before Dior's summer 2020 menswear show at Paris Fashion Week with Daniel Arsham, I'd asked him why he even felt the need to collaborate. “I choose how I want to work. I could easily do it all by myself and be as successful. I just like working with people and having them on my team,” he'd said.

Jones has always come out winning, but in September last year as Fendi's artistic director, he may have fallen short. FENDACE saw Jones—with the help of Silvia Venturini Fendi—debut his take on the house of Versace, and minutes later, unveil Donatella Versace's rendition on Fendi. Belts, bags and plain black T-shirts had the word FENDACE stamped on them like it was enough to present spectacular luxury fashion you're meant to pay a premium for.

ON HOME TURF

In India, arguably the buzziest alliance was H&M roping in Sabyasachi for its annual partnership—love it or hate it, you could not ignore it—which saw two clothing houses come together. Otherwise, designers prefer external collaborations that crossover to other creative disciplines. Ritu Kumar and Ashiesh Shah created a fine decor line. Shantanu & Nikhil did a solid with Obeetee on exquisite rugs. Cai brought on Rhea Kapoor to create sexy footwear. Masaba conquered television, beauty and everything in between. But two designers haven’t gotten in bed with each other, because what will their clients think?

"Indian designers are very territorial, and they want to create their own brands,” says Saha. “But whether it's Sabyasachi or Manish Malhotra, they’ve all gotten into jewellery. Jewellery that they don't make and very few of them even design, but they've tied up with companies and are selling it as an extra offering. It's worked out wonderfully. It’s not the clothes but accessories that do really well in terms of revenue,” she adds.

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FENDACE saw Kim Jones debut his take on the house of Versace, and minutes later, unveil Donatella Versace's rendition on Fendi

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Happy, bright costume jewellery in the form of Bhaane x Love Letter

Bhaane had the same idea in an accessible format when it partnered with Studio Love Letter for a jewellery line named after cocktails. “It was an artistic medium of expression and a great opportunity to swim in new waters,” says Bhaane's creative director Nimish Shah. “I enjoy costume jewellery but don’t have an eye for developing it myself. This was a great extension to our existing offering, and if it leads to successful commerce, then nothing like it,” he adds. For Shah, collaborations are a means to grow creatively and expand one's identity, “Else it's a commission and not a collaboration. There is so much more one can do with another like-minded creative person. I feel strongly for non-traditional collaborations rather than putting out more merchandise. Raw Mango's playlist with indie artist Suryakant and Payal Khandwala with Ether were such fun and clever ideas.”

ONTO THE NEXT ONE

Internally, collaborations give designers and brands the opportunity to learn from one another—expertise, supply chain models, addressing new target audiences or in-house design secrets. From a designer's perspective, the main reason to do one is to tap into a different side of you and make a unique product. It helps from a manufacturing perspective as well,” says Rawal. But with an excess of them around us, it seems like OG fashion gets lost in the noise. “When hype comes with a strong design language like the Sacai x Undercover x Nike partnership, then you have a successful collaboration. In the international market, everyone's doing one now. But it's crucial to see how many last or can engage with the end consumer,” he adds.

Ask yourself this, would you really pay double for a product if it didn't carry a second logo? Have you been wowed by the actual design or gotten excited about a collaboration because of the sheer hype? Players who yell the hardest seem to come out winning.

The sad truth is that collaborations are becoming predictable—the same format with two big names put together. What we're hoping for is the next wave of disruption, for brands to venture out of their comfort zones and create fashion that’s not just logo heavy. Long-term endeavours that don't just sell out in seconds and then go down in history as a “once upon a time…” offering. For designers to see collaborations for what they are, a means to go above their prowess and give us a version of them we've never seen before. Surprise us. We’re waiting.

fashion

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